Best LaTeX Compiler

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March 12th 2011, 10:36 AM
rebghb

Best LaTeX Compiler

Hello everyone!

I can say I have reached rock bottom in LaTeX! I've got these programs installed on my PC but can't seem to get what I want out of them: TeXnic Center, LEd and MIKTeX 2.9!

I have 2 questions to ask:

(1) How can I insert a picture? I searched the web and they keep saying use the graphicx package then use \insertgraphic function. LEd doesn't seem to know this function while TeXnic completely overlooks it! What to do?

(2) I don't know why I should have MIKTeX and one of LEd or TeXnic, I mean what's the difference between these two programs? And how to tie them together?

Any help is really appreciated!
March 12th 2011, 10:53 AM
amanda19

You could try Miktex and Winedt together. You'll need to \usepackage{graphicx} and then pictures are included by \includegraphics{*picture file name*}.
March 12th 2011, 10:50 PM
rebghb

Winedt is not for free, is there something free worth trying? And why does one have to use both MIKTeX and another thing?

Thank you :)
March 15th 2011, 10:28 AM
amanda19

Winedt can be used as a free trial, and it works perfectly well enough. And I don't really know the ins and outs of Miktex but I'm sure there is a very good reason...!
March 15th 2011, 10:41 AM
Ackbeet

I've had success with the following software environment: GhostScript, GhostView, MiKTeX, and TextPad (install in that order, preferably) on a Windows machine. All of these are freeware, if not open-source. You can set up inverse search (double-clicking in your .dvi file brings up the corresponding section in your .tex file), customized keyboard commands (I do ctrl-1 for tex-ing).

I've long had trouble with graphics. Graphics in LaTeX are very touchy: you have to get everything right, or no joy. Here's just one thread illustrating the difficulties I've run into! That thread might help you a bit in your quest to insert graphics, actually.
March 15th 2011, 05:41 PM
TheEmptySet

Since you have TeXnicCenter installed. Graphics can be inserted by Clicking on the Insert file menu on the top and then selecting Picture. This will open a dialog box so you can select options you like.
March 27th 2011, 06:01 AM
CaptainBlack

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebghb

Hello everyone!

I can say I have reached rock bottom in LaTeX! I've got these programs installed on my PC but can't seem to get what I want out of them: TeXnic Center, LEd and MIKTeX 2.9!

I have 2 questions to ask:

....

(2) I don't know why I should have MIKTeX and one of LEd or TeXnic, I mean what's the difference between these two programs? And how to tie them together?

Any help is really appreciated!

MiKTeX is a distribution of the LaTeX tools, you might as well think of it as a compiler and a set of packages.

The other programs you mention are LaTeX editors which interface with the tools in MiKTeX.

One way to get things working is to steal the LaTeX from a document you like the look of, say from ArXiv.org and modify it for your own use. I would recommend one that uses PDFLaTeX if your figures are in anything other than eps files.

CB